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A Window into Biomedical Research
On 21st August 2025, our school organized an enlightening talk by Dr. Shilpi Minocha, Assistant Professor of neurobiology at the Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, IIT Delhi. Dr. Minocha delivered an insightful lecture on “Zebrafish – The Super Fish.” What began as an ordinary school talk quickly turned into a deep dive into why a small tropical fish has become one of the most powerful tools in modern biomedical research.
Zebrafish — The Model Organisms
Dr. Minocha explained how zebrafish (Danio rerio) are widely used as model organisms in scientific research in laboratory settings because of their genetic and structural similarities with humans. Humans share nearly 70% of their genes with zebrafish, whose organs — from the brain and heart to the lungs, kidneys, and intestines — closely resemble ours in structure and function. This quality makes them extremely useful for studying the phenomena of development, regeneration, and disease. The genetic and physiological similarity has made zebrafish invaluable in biomedical studies, particularly in the field of cancer research, where scientists can transplant and observe the growth, spread, and response of human cancer cells within zebrafish models, offering powerful insights into tumor biology and potential treatment strategies.
A few practical benefits make zebrafish especially attractive: their embryos are transparent, develop quickly (the embryo becomes a larva within about 24 hours), and the fish reach adulthood in roughly three months. The transparency allows scientists to watch organs and cells form in real time under a microscope, which is practically impossible in mammalian embryos.
Notable Features and Discoveries
The talk also highlighted the history of zebrafish research. Early scientists like George Streisinger and Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard, conducted unique experiments such as sending zebrafish into space on Salyut-6 in 1976, to study their survival in space.
Dr. Minocha highlighted several fascinating features and tools that researchers use. These are as follows:
Rapid life cycle: The fast development time speeds up experiments and genetic studies.
Regenerative ability: Zebrafish can recover from severe injuries — for example, they can regrow heart tissue and parts of their spinal cord and fins. This makes them ideal for studying tissue repair and the molecular pathways that enable regeneration.
Casper mutant: A strain nicknamed Casper is almost completely transparent as an adult. This allows researchers to observe organs and even transplanted human cells inside a living fish.
Cancer research: Scientists transplant human cancer cells into zebrafish to observe tumour growth, metastasis and responses to drugs in a living organism. Because of their small size and transparent tissues, zebrafish offer a fast, visual readout of cancer behaviour.
Imaging and personalised medicine: Techniques like CT scans and MRI are used alongside zebrafish models to better understand individual patient tumours and to screen potential treatments in a personalised way.
Students also learned about the life cycle of zebrafish, which progresses rapidly from embryo to larva within 24 hours and matures into an adult in about three months. Their ability to recover from severe injuries makes them invaluable for research on tissue repair and regeneration. Interesting facts, such as the Casper mutant zebrafish (transparent-bodied, allowing study of internal organs) and their role in personalised medicine using CT scans and MRIs.
Scientific Strengths and Limitations
Scientific Strengths and Limitations
While the lecture celebrated zebrafish, Dr. Minocha also encouraged us to think critically about limitations. Zebrafish are not miniature humans. They live in water, have different body temperatures, and some physiological pathways differ. Results from fish need careful validation before being translated to humans. For instance, a drug that works in zebrafish may fail in mammal testing due to metabolic differences or immune responses.
This balanced view is important: a model organism is never an exact replica of human biology; it is a tool that can reveal mechanisms, generate hypotheses, and accelerate early-stage discovery. Good science requires following up promising zebrafish results with additional studies in other systems.
Ethics & Responsibility
Ethics & Responsibility
A strong part of the talk focussed on the ethical side of animal research. Dr. Minocha stressed honesty, integrity, and strict adherence to guidelines set by Institutional Animal Ethics Committees. Even when research uses small fish, ethical considerations — minimising suffering, justifying experiments, and using alternatives wherever possible — are essential. This served as a reminder that science is not only about discovery but also about responsibility.
Conclusion
Dr. Minocha’s lecture was far more than a presentation about a fish — it was a clear example of how basic biology connects to real-world medical problems. Zebrafish offer speed, clarity, and surprising similarity to humans, while reminding us that every model has limits and that ethical conduct is non-negotiable. Listening to Dr. Minocha made the abstract idea of “model organism” suddenly tangible. For students considering a career in biology or medicine, the zebrafish story is inspiring. It shows that major breakthroughs often come from creative use of simple systems, rigorous thinking, and ethical practice. If you’re curious, motivated, and ready to ask tough questions — like why humans heal differently — the world of research has space for you. The talk concluded with a Question & Answer session, where topics like why humans lost regenerative abilities, cancer research possibilities, and even bone-like structures in zebrafish were explored.
Written by Nayab Tahrir
Photos by Ajay Kumar
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